94 Dakota auto shift issues

[tdwhite]

Hi everyone, I recently replaced the engine in my 1994 Dakota ext. cab 4x4.

5.2l v8
4 speed auto

Now it has shift issues. It seems to hit 2nd gear very hard, but it does upshift all the way into 4th somewhat normally after that. Now the issues...

It will not downshift. No matter how far I push the throttle down, it will not downshift. It sometimes does when going very slow and coasting like if pulling into a driveway but this is rare, usually it does not downshift at all.

Also, when stopping at a stop sign it is stuck in gear like a manual that you need to push the clutch in. If I don't manually downshift it, or put it in neutral when slowing, it will shudder and stall.

This did not happen prior to the engine swap. Transmission was fine. I'm hoping I just missed something putting it back together. When pulling the old engine we did break the sensor on the rear passenger side of the engine that goes into the top of the tranny bell. I replaced it with new. The replacement didn't look like the old one (org was all plastic) the new one was metal but fit perfectly... Could I have missed a wire or plug for the tranny? Could that replacement sensor be the wrong one?

Thanks for any ideas or any help with this.

td